To Be or Not to Be
by Buttercup0427
Summary: After “The Body,” Buffy sees Joyce’s ghost, who tells Buffy that she was murdered by Giles, causing Buffy to set out for revenge. It seems something is rotten in the state of Sunnydale.
1. Author's Note

"To Be or Not to Be" Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 5, Episode 17  
  
Summary: After "The Body," Buffy and friends see Joyce's ghost, who tells Buffy that she was murdered by Giles. Buffy, with the help of Tara, sets out for revenge. It seems something is rotten in the state of Sunnydale and that the Scoobies are fitting the roles of Shakespeare's Hamlet quite nicely.  
  
Disclaimer: The plot belongs to Shakespeare and the characters to Joss Whedon. I merely blended the two together and wrote the dialogue. Please don't sue me 'cause my parents would kill me.  
  
Author's Note: I wrote this as an assignment for my English class. For my final project on Hamlet, I adapted the plot of the famous play to Buffy and the rest of the show. I know there are some weak spots, but just use your imagination and take this for what it is. I had to make some male parts in Hamlet, female Buffy parts. Also, I obviously had to ignore the Claudius/Gertrude romance because Willow and Giles are not very plausible. Thanks and enjoy reading. Reviews greatly appreciated. 


	2. Characters' Roles

Each character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer corresponds with a character from Hamlet. Here is a guide so you don't get loss while reading:  
  
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer  
  
The Ghost - Joyce Summers  
  
Osric; miscellaneous parts - Dawn Summers  
  
King Claudius - Rupert Giles  
  
Queen Gertrude - Willow Rosenberg  
  
Ophelia - Spike  
  
Polonius - Anya  
  
Laertes - Xander Harris  
  
Horatio - Tara Maclay  
  
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern - Cordelia Chase and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce  
  
Fortinbras - Faith  
  
Gravedigger - Jonathan  
  
Ambassadors to England - Quentin Travers 


	3. Prologue

Season 5, Episode 17: "To Be or Not to Be"  
  
TEASER  
  
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY  
  
GILES (voiceover) Previously on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".  
  
BUFFY (calling) Hey, Mom.  
  
BUFFY turns, sees some flowers on the table beside the door.  
  
BUFFY Ooh.  
  
She opens the card that came with the flowers. Shot of the card, which reads: "Thank you for a lovely evening. See you soon? Brian."  
  
BUFFY (to herself) Still a couple of guys gettin' it right.  
  
She turns to call up the stairs, putting down her jacket.  
  
BUFFY (calls) Hey, flower-gettin' lady. Want me to pick Dawn up from school?  
  
In the background, on the living room sofa, we can see someone or something, but it's out of focus; the focus is on BUFFY in the foreground.  
  
BUFFY frowns, looks down the hall toward the kitchen.  
  
BUFFY Mom?  
  
She turns and looks in the living room.  
  
BUFFY What are you doing?  
  
She walks into the living room, stops.  
  
Shot of JOYCE lying on the sofa. Her eyes are open, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. One arm hangs loosely over the edge of the sofa. She does not move or blink.  
  
BUFFY (quieter) Mom? (even quieter) Mom? (very quietly) Mommy?  
  
Black out.  
  
END OF TEASER  
  
Wolf howl and season five credits. Commercial break. 


	4. Patrolling

ACT I  
  
EXT. GRAVEYARD #1 - NIGHT  
  
XANDER is strolling around and twirling a stake as he whistles the theme to "Star Wars." He suddenly stops.  
  
XANDER (tensely) Who's there?  
  
The bushes just behind him rustle and ANYA comes flying out, hitting XANDER squarely in the back.  
  
ANYA (screaming) Aaahh!  
  
The two fall to the ground with XANDER landing face down with ANYA on top of him.  
  
ANYA (disappointed) Oh, it's only you.  
  
ANYA slowly climbs off XANDER, allowing both of them to get up. They stand and dust off their clothes.  
  
XANDER (sarcastically) Love you, too, Anya. (switches to really annoyed) Geez, what's your problem? I was just coming to help patrol, so you and Willow don't have to be out all night. Where is Wills, anyway?  
  
From the direction that ANYA entered, WILLOW and TARA enter holding hands and talking to one another. They do not notice XANDER.  
  
XANDER Hey, guys.  
  
The girls look up and smile.  
  
WILLOW Oh, hey, Xand. If you guys don't mind, I should get going. I have a huge paper due soon and since none of us want to see Willow in major wiggage later, I need to hit the books.  
  
XANDER No problem. We'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget the meeting in the Magic Box.  
  
ANYA Yes, please come and bring lots of money to buy things!  
  
XANDER Sweetie, we talked about this thing called tact once, remember?  
  
WILLOW (ignoring Anya and turning toward Tara) You coming?  
  
TARA You go ahead. I am just going to stay a little longer and help out Xander and Anya. I'll see you at the Magic Box, tomorrow.  
  
WILLOW Okay, bye.  
  
XANDER & TARA Bye.  
  
ANYA (calling after Willow) Don't forget your money! WILLOW exits. The three remaining Scoobies set off into the graveyard.  
  
TARA So, how is she?  
  
XANDER Who - Buffy?  
  
TARA nods.  
  
XANDER (cont'd) She's okay, not great. But, I mean, that is expected, right? After having just lost your mother?  
  
TARA When my mom died, I felt like the world had ended.  
  
ANYA Buffy certainly acts like it.  
  
XANDER (exasperated) Ahn!  
  
ANYA What? It's true. You have seen her. She doesn't talk or slay much anymore. She has been shirking her responsibilities which is quite irresponsible!  
  
XANDER I, for one, am glad she isn't patrolling right now. That way we can look out for her mom's ghost again. I don't want to worry Buffy for nothing, so we're going to wait to tell her about it, right? You haven't said anything yet, Tara?  
  
TARA Nothing, promise.  
  
The three continue to walk when suddenly the ghost of JOYCE appears before them.  
  
ANYA (screaming) Aaaahh! There it is again!  
  
XANDER I swear, it looks just like Joyce.  
  
TARA (to ghost) Joyce? (quietly to Xander and Anya) It looks just like her and is even wearing one of her dresses.  
  
Suddenly, the ghost disappears.  
  
ANYA Wait, she's leaving.  
  
TARA We should tell Buffy about this. She would want to know.  
  
XANDER I don't know if that is such a good idea. Maybe we should research this first. The cause may be something mystical and we don't want to upset Buffy any more than she already is, don't you agree?  
  
ANYA (cheerily) Yes, a very good idea.  
  
XANDER and ANYA walk off, while TARA remains behind for a moment.  
  
TARA I am gonna tell Buffy about this tomorrow. We can keep it between us and Xander and Anya will never know. Buffy has the right to know - she needs to know.  
  
TARA runs and catches up with the couple. The three walk out of the graveyard together, heading home. 


	5. Moving On

INT. MAGIC BOX'S MAIN ROOM - DAY  
  
The entire Scooby gang is assembled. WILLOW, XANDER, TARA and DAWN sit at the table while BUFFY sulks in the corner of the room. ANYA is counting the money in the cash register, as usual. GILES hangs up the phone and turns to address the group.  
  
GILES (taking off glasses and cleaning them) Well, it seems that Faith has managed to escape from jail. The Watcher's Council is tracking her, but does not seem to know where she is headed. I think our best guess is Sunnydale, so everyone should be extra careful.  
  
WILLOW Great, just what we need. A psycho killer on the loose, on top of everything else we're dealing with.  
  
XANDER On that cheery note, I have to go for my construction gig in Pepperdine. Call me if anything comes up; especially if Faith is gonna be anywhere near Pepperdine.  
  
ANYA (pouting) I don't see why you have to go. Don't you want to stay here with me?  
  
XANDER Of course I do, Ahn, but if we want more money I need to work and that -  
  
ANYA (cutting him off) Say no more. You must leave immediately and make more money!  
  
While XANDER and ANYA continue to talk in the background, BUFFY steps forward and speaks to GILES.  
  
BUFFY About what I said earlier.  
  
GILES Yes, I thought about it carefully, and I don't think you should return to school, yet.  
  
BUFFY  
  
But I -  
  
GILES (cutting her off) UC Sunnydale isn't going anywhere and you need to be here, catching up on all the patrolling and slaying you have missed since your mother's death.  
  
BUFFY looks pained.  
  
GILES Plus, I don't think anyone here could bear to lose you right now, even if only for a short time. College isn't the best thing for you right now and you seem quite distraught -  
  
BUFFY (cutting Giles off) Seem? I am sad, Giles! My mom just died. In fact, I am a lot worse off than I look!  
  
BUFFY storms out of the room and into the training room.  
  
SPIKE, just moments later, comes running in through the front door of the Magic Box with a blanket over his bleached head to protect him from the sun's harmful rays. Smoke is coming off of him.  
  
SPIKE Bloody hell!  
  
All of the Scooby gang notices his arrival.  
  
DAWN Hey, Spike!  
  
SPIKE Hello, nibblet. Where's the big sis?  
  
DAWN In back.  
  
SPIKE starts toward the back, but XANDER grabs his arm.  
  
XANDER I think she wants to be alone right now.  
  
CLOSE UP on SPIKE. He glances at the training room and shrugs, moving toward the table where DAWN is, taking a seat. 


End file.
